Monthly Archives: December 2011

One of the most fascinating aspects of life is meeting others and learning about what they’ve been through in life. I met a man from Nepal by the name of Raju, who lives and works in Bangkok. Over the past few years we’ve seen each other in passing and eventually I became a customer of his. He runs a tailor shop on Sukhumvit Road in the heart of Bangkok and he now makes my clothes, both casual and dress. He has an eye for detail, a pleasant personality, and he’s a good guy. One day I suggested that we go to dinner, away from the hustle of business life, have a few cocktails and get to know each other.

Nepal is landlocked, which means that it is surrounded by other countries on all sides and must keep friendly relations with its neighbors in order to have access to the shoreline (shipping). Essentially, Nepal is squeezed between China and India. Nepal is a difficult country to make money in and survival is a daily chore, so Bangkok is a paradise by comparison. Continue reading →

The unemployment in France increased to a 12-year high in November 2011 amid economic slowdown, data from labor ministry revealed Monday. The number of unemployed people in France by 29,900, or 1.1 percent, to 2.85 million in November 2011. From the prior year 2010, the unemployment increased 5.2 percent. The jobless total reached the highest level since November 1999. The statistical office Insee expects the economy to slip into a mild recession in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of next year 2012. A survey from the Bank of France showed that the economy will stagnate in the fourth quarter of 2011. With French presidential elections coming up in 2012, the French govt is likely to take additional steps to support the unemployed youth in France

Want to grow your offline business, start a business, or market your services? Online marketing is the way to go. It helps you reach a broader audience, sell, connect, and much more. While internet marketing may seem complicated, once you understand the fundamentals you can build on that knowledge as your needs grow and change. Let’s take a look at the basics of online marketing.

Your Website: The foundation for your business online is a website. You must have an online presence to succeed on the internet. It only makes sense. Now your “website” can take several different forms. It can be a blog, a brochure site, or even a storefront. The type of website you build depends largely on your business model. Continue reading →

Question from Sam: Hello, I have managed to get an interview for an insurance and financial services sales position, and now I want your help! New York Life, Prudential and Metlife want to interview me, but I don’t have financial experience. Can you please tell what kind of questions will be asked?

Answer: Here is a list of basic questions they will are very likely to ask you:

• Have you ever been in sales before? If so, what was your closing ratio?
• What do you know about our company/products/industry?
• What is the most difficult problem you have ever solved?
• Explain a time when you have worked effectively under pressure.
• Explain something that you have attempted and failed. What did you do next?
• How do you feel that your personal or academic background fits with the position that you are seeking?
• What do you believe will be the biggest challenges of this position?

The demand-supply situation for job is highly favorable towards the employers, i.e., htere are more candidates than jobs. Try to share examples from your past work, and if possible, ask the intervieweers to call your previous managers, or references on the phone. Positive references help a lot in all kinds of job interviews, from entry level jobs to the senior executives, and company board positions.